The present invention relates to a manual shift lever mechanism for an automobile gear shaft assembly. More particularly, the invention is directed to an improved manual shift lever assembly which can easily be installed and removed from the steel stub shaft of the gear shift assembly.
In general, shift lever mechanisms, are operatively associated with both manual and automatic transmissions for directing the power to the driven wheels of a motor vehicle. The lever mechanism provides the driver with a means to engage/instruct the transmission which gear the transmission should be placed into as well as which direction the vehicle should travel. The connection in a manual transmission will be in almost constant contact with the driver's hand and as such, the mechanism must be securely connected to the shaft and provide damping to isolate vibrations transmitted from the vehicle's transmission through the handle's connection mechanism to the driver.
Most automotive shift lever mechanisms are typically fixedly connected to the stub shaft of the transmission located in the shift tower. Tight production tolerances and vibration isolation require a normal production process which uses a pneumatic press to push the shift lever into place, forming an interference fit.
As can be appreciated, considerable difficulty has been experienced in removing the handle assembly from the stub post. Such disassembly is necessary to replace the shift tower or repair the handle should one of these parts become damaged or worn. Various procedures have been used to force the press fitted handle off the stub shaft, including prying with levers (as seen in FIG. 1) or fixturing in an arbor press. The former is objectionable in that it is uncertain and dangerous; the latter is costly and cumbersome.